Just to be clear NFC title loss NOT Favre's fault

Posted on: January 24, 2008 12:59 pm

I have heard alot of rumblings, posts and even articles about how Sunday's NFC title loss was Brett Favre's fault. This is beyond laughable.

There are so many directions you can go with this one, where to start. Well let's start first with the coaches. Their game plan seemed to revert back to the Dallas game plan. They assumed they could rape and pillage NY's DB's and that was mistake. They got away from what got them there. The coaches seemed to completely give up on runing the ball when there was no reason to do so. Were the Packer's being successful running the ball, some say no, I say who would no when you only ran it 13 times the whole game. For the first 2.5 quarters the Giants were not very successful running the ball either, but they stayed with it and it paid off in the 4th quarter, Green Bay did not so in the 4th quarter it paid no dividends. My philosophy has always been if you are up or tied you continue to try and run the ball, eventually it will pay off. The coaches made a mistake by getting away from the run too early and not staying with the short passing routes and also they called too many screen plays, those haven't worked all year, why did they think they would work that day????

Next let's talk about the OLine. They pass blocked respectably but their run blocking (on the runs they tried) was atrocious and they have no idea how to block on screen plays, part of why screens have not worked this year. Also they had a few costly penalties on the Oline.

How about wide receivers, basically everyone not named Donald Driver was non-existant, and when their number was called they dropped balls. People say Favre was not great that day, well how about some of the fantatsic passes he put right in the receivers hands and they dropped the ball (can you say Ruvell Martin). The QB can only do so much, the receivers have to hold up their end of the bargain and catch the ball too.

How about let's talk about the defensive line next. They were unable to get pressure on Eli all day, perhaps the coaches should have called more blitzes to help them but this DLine has made a living pressuring QB's with a four man front, suddenly they went silenced on the biggest day of the year.

What's up next??? Well I think it is natural to discuss the linebacking corp. Suddenly the supposed strength of our defense turned in the worst outing I have seen from them in two years. This was not the agressive, good positon, good tackling bunch of the previous 17 games, this unit looked like the squad the Badgers fielded this year. They were out of position, they were arm tackling, missing tackles, botching coverages. It was like watching the keystone cops in Green Bay uniforms. Very disappointing effort from them.

Then there was our defensive backs. Atari Bigby & Nick Collins were almost non-existant, did we even play our safeties Sunday??? Then there was the travesty of our cornerbacks and the inability to cover Plaxico Burres. Plaxico ate the DB's lunch all day, again perhaps the worst effort we've seen in sometime out of that unit.

How about special teams, we had poor kick coverage giving the Giants good field position countless times, and what about our punter, how many 20 yard or less punts are we going to have to put up with?? I mean weak legged Feagles was out there punting the ball respectably and our guy would have gotten beat by the 14 year old girl who won the punt pass and kick competition. It was pathetic to say the least, if both punters would have had problems I'd give him apass but they didn't, only he did on this miserable day. Crosby was the only bright spot on special teams as he converted what was asked for him (he might be the Packer MVP for this game)

So lastly there was Favre. Did he play his best game ever, no. Did he force a bad pass that got picked off, Yes, but that ball was fumbled and recovered by Green Bay for a first down so that hardly did anything to cost the game. If anything it SHOULD have given them a little more fire. Was that a bad pass that turned into an INT in OT. Yes it was, but the decision and call were fine, it was just a bad pass, that is on Favre, but guess what, they never should have been in OT in the first place. Everyone's love child, Tom Brady, completed a similar percentage of passes int eh AFC title games, he threw for fewer yards than Favre, and he had THREE interceptions, including an INT in the endzone while the Pat's were in the redzone trying to score. Did Brady "win" their game for them, NO, in fact if anything he did everything he could to not win it. Did he lose their game for them though, NO, because the rest of his team stepped up. Maroney ran the ball well, his defense did an acceptable job in keeping the Chargers out of the endzone, his special teams mates did their job in coverage and on punts, and his OLine opened wholes for the running game and his coach didn;t go against what got them there. Point is if ANY, not all, just one of ANY of the areas that played poorly had stepped up their game on Sunday we would be talking about a Green bay win instead of listening to these idiots blame Favre for the loss. He is part of the team and deserves part of the blame (about 10th on my list of many people to blame) but it does not reside "squarely" on his shoulders as some would suggest.

At the end of the day I hope Favre realizes how good this team was, how good he was with them, and how much better they can be next year if he comes back. I hope he does because next year could be the year!!

Just to be clear NFC title loss NOT Favre's fault

I agree that the blame cannot be thrown solely on Favre's shoulders, but he must take a chunk of it.

The main blame lies, in my opinion, with the play calling. Screen after unsuccessful screen. Not enough touches by the running game, and lazy recievers running routs.

PS Harris lose your GD ego and ask for help when you are getting toasted and made to look like a HS DB!!

Since: Jun 9, 2007

Posted on: February 5, 2008 7:13 am

Just to be clear NFC title loss NOT Favre's fault

I can only think of one Packer game where the loss was 100% the quarterback's fault, and his name was T.J. Rubely. Quarterbacks make mistakes. It happens. It happened to Aikman in the 1996 divisional when the Cowboys played the Panthers. Does it make Aikman less of a player? No. Does it make Brett Favre less of a player since it happened to him? No. The interception wasn't even all his fault. Donald Driver didn't address the media until days after the game, so he knew he was partially to blame for the interception. At any rate, I'm not sure why people who don't like Brett are so willing to kick him out. They're not going to know what they had until he's gone.

Since: Dec 8, 2006

Posted on: February 4, 2008 4:14 pm

Just to be clear NFC title loss NOT Favre's fault

Did Brett Favre play a great game.... no. Did the Packers play a great game... no. Did the Packers run the ball enough... no. Did the defense adjust to Plax killing them... no. Are the Packers going to improve and repeat as NFC Central Champions... YES!

Brett is not the lone reason they lost the NFC Champioship game! It was a collective effort. They played terrible and lost to a team that played their best ball at the end of the season... congrats to the New York Giants on winning it all!

Since: Jan 25, 2008

Posted on: February 2, 2008 10:25 pm

Just to be clear NFC title loss NOT Favre's fault

I completely agree with you on Brett Favre it wasn't his fault it's easy to blame him, but we shouldn't. Without Favre we would have never made it this far

Since: Aug 29, 2006

Posted on: January 29, 2008 8:15 pm

Just to be clear NFC title loss NOT Favre's fault

Losing a game by a QB throwing a poor pass, resulting in an interception, happens to QB from time to time. There is no reason to over think this game and shift the blame elsewhere.

Farve looked very tired in the 4th quarter and, especially in overtime. I think Farve fans overestimated the benefit cold weather would give to Farve, especially considering Farve's age. Farve had chances to win this game but, in the 2nd play of overtime Farve threw a ball with very little zip on it across the field. New York Giant defender Corey Webster easily intercepted the under thrown ball and ran it back many yards. 3 plays and 5 yards later the Giant kicker, who had missed many field goals, kicked the winner... I see no reason to blame the Packers.

Farve fans can candy-coat this loss for themselves, that's fine; but, to quote a line from the movie The Outlaw Jose Wales: Fletcher: "There's another old saying, Senator: Don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining". Farve had a great year and he broke records. He gave Packer fans much pleasure with his play. I would suggest Farve fans look at his entire season/career, not just the 2nd play of overtime in the NFC Championship game.

Since: Nov 5, 2007

Posted on: January 28, 2008 8:48 pm

Just to be clear NFC title loss NOT Favre's fault

I agree with you completely Kaara, and it looks like you put a lot of effort into this post, I have a hard time writing that much when I have to for an assignment.

xerxes10
Since: Jun 16, 2007

Posted on: January 24, 2008 3:14 pm

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